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Ancient
Ancient was one of the founders of the Dark Hunter organization, along with The Shadowed One. Biography Early Life "Ancient" originally resided in a colder region of the Southern Island Chain, created by Mata Nui and based upon the genetic coding of several existing sapient species alongside the rest of the Grenok species. Met with moderate success, the species was permitted to continue populating their region of the Matoran Universe, though their numbers were kept in check by harsh terrains and inhospitable climate. Roughly 80,000 years ago, however, the Grenok societal structure became precarious, with Grenok such as "Ancient" hiring their services out in the field of espionage. With the Ancient Wars ravaging the Grenok homeland, "Ancient" and The Shadowed One witnessed a natural disaster wipe out their island in a spectacular blaze of elemental fury, decimating the population and leaving only a handful of scattered survivors. Convinced that the natural disaster had been intentionally triggered by Mata Nui to purge the Matoran Universe of his species, "Ancient" ferried a small group of surviving Grenok off the ruins of their island. Dark Hunters With the League of Six Kingdoms disbanded and with many residents of the Southern Matoran Universe harboring less favorable sentiments towards the Toa as Mata Nui's chosen species, "Ancient" and The Shadowed One were able to rally support from warriors native to the southern universe, uniting them into a composite mercenary guild named the Dark Hunters. Settling on the island of Odina, which had once been home to a short-lived species similarly entirely wiped out by a natural disaster, The Shadowed One nestled the cradle of the Dark Hunter organization on this site, vowing that his mercenary syndicate would represent the misfits of the Matoran Universe; the species that had been neglected, dismissed, or even wiped out by Mata Nui. Believing his cause to be righteous and his role to be legendary, "Ancient" was commissioned as his foremost general. As the Dark Hunters began to rise in prominence after several early assassination attempts, "Ancient" proved himself an especially formidable operative despite the tremendous guilt he felt for his role in the destruction of his homeland. Under The Shadowed One's early rule and the advice of "Ancient", the earliest generation of Dark Hunters were notorious for raiding vessels and villages in an instant then disappearing the next, claiming all manner of cargo, weapons, and bounties with little regard for collateral damage. Frequently, Dark Hunters would be tasked with missions that demanded them to eliminate or transgress certain Toa, the general sentiment being that Toa represented a law that was unjust. During this time, "Ancient" helped The Shadowed One to secure the allegiance of "Conjurer", "Lurker", Sentrakh, Lariska, and "Eliminator", who would prove to be some of his most experienced and capable operatives. Between 60,000 and 30,000 years ago, the Matoran Universe entered a golden age of prosperity with reduced Dark Hunter activity, with both the Toa and the Brotherhood of Makuta cooperating to ensure universal peace was maintained. During this time, the Order of Mata Nui was known to have contracted "Ancient" as a double agent, relaying tactical information directly to Toa Helryx whilst operating behind The Shadowed One's back. Seeking to debilitate the Toa forces on a universal scale, The Shadowed One dispatched an unnamed Dark Hunter to retrieve the Makoki Stone from the Toa Fortress, commissioning "Ancient" to tail the operative to ensure the success of the operation. Following the interference of Hakann and Vezok, however, "Ancient" was forced to trigger a Frostelus attack before sending word back to the Order of Mata Nui, capturing both Skakdi and securing the Makoki Stone in the process. Impressed by the tenacity of the two thieves, The Shadowed One would execute the operative originally sent to retrieve the Makoki Stone and offer his position to Hakann, Vezok, Reidak, Avak, Zaktan, and Thok based off of "Ancient"'s recommendation, the first six Skakdi permitted into the organization. Over the course of the following 7000 years, the unsavory agendas of both the Brotherhood of Makuta and the Dark Hunters became more clear to the Toa and the Order of Mata Nui. This period also saw a general decline across the universe, as the Brotherhood began to pay less attention to preserving order and more to their own ambition while The Shadowed One continued to expand his criminal enterprise, earning the sympathy of dissatisfied working masses across the Matoran Universe, with "Ancient" remaining one of his most trusted advisers. By the onset of the Dark Times, the total Dark Hunter population had begun to see drastic increase in size, with members of the organization growing more experienced and with The Shadowed One constantly searching for new potential in his ranks. With Mata Nui now distinctly absent and The Shadowed One's subconscious goal achieved by the onset of the Dark Times, the leader of the Dark Hunters took drastic military action against the Brotherhood of Makuta, placing "Ancient" in the front lines of numerous Dark Hunter offensives, devising strategies to ambush entire Rahkshi squadrons and inconvenience numerous members of the Makuta species. With the Matoran Universe running on auxiliary power and the Brotherhood of Makuta now in a prime position of power, "Ancient" spent the majority of the Dark Times engaged in espionage operations. Towards the end of this conflict, "Ancient" was known to have searched for the Kanohi Vahi alongside Voporak, recognizing it as an object of tremendous power but proving wary to leave it in Dark Hunter hands. With Voporak able to trail the Vahi to the island of Mata Nui, "Ancient" reported his findings directly to Helryx whilst maintaining his cover. Destiny War With the Dark Hunter profit margin beginning to dwindle after so many years of conflict with the Brotherhood, the organization came to partner with the Order of Mata Nui after "Ancient" came to reveal his true allegiance within the ranks of the Dark Hunters. With all facets of the guild infiltrated, "Ancient" forced The Shadowed One to partner with Toa Helryx and her accomplices, an arrangement that equipped the Dark Hunters with more troops in their war against the Brotherhood of Makuta with but under the direction of Order tacticians. Believing "Ancient" to have betrayed his trust, The Shadowed One bitterly complied with the dictates of the Order of Mata Nui. Tasked with blockading the island of Xia to prevent its inhabitants from trading weapons with the Brotherhood, "Ancient" and The Shadowed One were present to witness the battle between the Kanohi Dragon and the Tahtorak in the city's skyline, along with a significant proportion of the Dark Hunter population. However, The Shadowed One took this task too seriously, preparing to completely eliminate the Vortixx only for the combined might of Toa Helryx and Toa Hagah: Norik, Gaaki, Bomonga, Pouks, Iruini, and Kualus to disrupt the bombardment, reminding The Shadowed One of his position and cautioning him not to overstep his authority. In the end, the Dark Hunters occupied the island at the behest of the Order of Mata Nui. Bolstered by the Order of Mata Nui's reinforcements, the Dark Hunters would go on to achieve a number of significant victories over the Brotherhood of Makuta facilitated by "Ancient". Met with little resistance, The Shadowed One would eventually step back from his role as his agents fought alongside the Order of Mata Nui, deferring to the leadership of Toa Helryx and Tobduk, her lieutenant. Whilst inspecting the destroyed factories of Xia, however, The Shadowed One encountered a Vortixx who appeared to be searching for something in the rubble. Trapping the Vortixx in Crystalline Protodermis, The Shadowed One went on to claim his quarry, retrieving one of the viruses that Makuta Kojol had brought to Xia in the months before his death. Confronted by "Ancient" in the wreckage of the structure, The Shadowed One came to recognize the enormous destructive potential of the viruses, resolving to keep them for his own purpose and murdering "Ancient" in order to ensure his silence. Abilities and Traits Initially haunted by the guilt of his homeland's destruction, "Ancient" blamed himself for Mata Nui's rage against his species, believing that his actions facilitated their demise. Following his partnership with The Shadowed One, however, "Ancient" came to believe that Mata Nui had unjustly sought to destroy his homeland, an ideology that complicated his role as an informant to the Order of Mata Nui, which he saw simply as a long-term business venture. "Ancient" possessed considerable physical strength, and his armor was capable of protecting him from most Elemental attacks. "Ancient" also wore boots forged from Levitation Kanoka, which allowed him to rise in the air at will, as well as a rapid-fire Rhotuka Launcher, which robbed its target of their physical coordination. Trivia *"Ancient" was created for the Dark Hunter contest by Connor Harvey. *Due to the nature of his death, "Ancient" was ineligible for resurrection in the Red Star. Appearances *''BIONICLE Legends 4: Legacy of Evil'' - First Appearance *''Exit Wound'' - Not Mentioned By Name *''Mission into Madness'' *''War Trophies'' - Mentioned *''Destiny War'' Category:Characters Category:Dark Hunters Category:Order of Mata Nui